2014 Kia Soul 1.6 Manual

A fine budget box.

Kia’s high-wattage ads for the second-generation Soul tout its greater refinement and uplevel equipment, but the boxy runabout still plays in a price-sensitive field. Fortunately for budget shoppers, the entry-level version looks to impress with similar quality and feel, and it’s also the only way to put a stick in this particular box.

Patience Is Required

For 2014, the mid-level Soul + (say “plus”) and range-topping Soul ! (“exclaim”) trims pack a 164-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder backed by a mandatory six-speed automatic transmission, a pairing that won us over in a recent test. The simplest Soul makes do with a weaker 1.6-liter mill, although, happily, it comes with a six-speed manual. (The automatic is available for two grand, bundled with aluminum wheels.) Fitted with direct injection, the engine develops 130 horsepower and 118 lb-ft of torque. As you’d expect given those meager numbers, our 2774-pound test car wasn’t quick, taking a leisurely 9.1 seconds to hit 60 mph and moseying through the quarter-mile in 16.9 at 84 mph. That’s a full second slower to 60 mph than the 338-pound-heavier 2.0-liter car, although the gap is cut in half after 1320 feet.

The 1.6 version noticeably struggled at higher speeds, with ample planning a requirement for passing on two-lanes. And keeping up with Michigan’s freeway traffic—it reliably averages 80 mph—meant constantly working the shifter to make the most of the available power. But that task was at least pleasant, thanks to the stick’s light, positive action and well-defined gates. It helps, too, that the brake and accelerator pedals are well placed for fancy footwork once you’re on more-sedate surface streets. (Hey, we’ll heel-and-toe in anything.)

Largely because we were constantly wringing the little 1.6’s neck, our observed fuel economy came to just 24 mpg, 1 mpg better than in the 2.0-liter and only matching the car’s 24-mpg EPA city rating. Highway mileage is estimated at 30 mpg.

We can deal with the slowness—plus, if anything, a poky car can require a driver to pay more attention to driving, a notion we support—but we are less forgiving of an unusual quirk in our 1.6-liter’s engine software. The car briefly cut the power when picking up the throttle after a shift, particularly when changing from first to second. It’s something we’ve noticed in a few other Hyundai/Kia products. We contacted the company for an explanation but have yet to receive a response.

Bargain Basement—Emphasis on Bargain

Even this Soul’s bottom-feeder status and 16-inch wheels can’t suppress its stylistic cheekiness, and they do nothing to diminish its overall feeling of value and solidity. The 1.6 gives off the same funky-fresh aesthetic vibe as does the 2.0, and its interior trimmings are a cut above most competitors’. The high roof means lots of headroom for all aboard, and drivers enjoy good forward sightlines and clear instrumentation. The cabin is nicely insulated from wind and road noise, and all the materials and fixtures are above average for the class. The structure is rock solid, which allows the suspension to focus on its job. Body roll is nicely controlled, and this Soul rides with a sophistication that belies its 15-grand starting price.

The brake pedal is as talkative as a dead moose—or a living one, for that matter—but it offers an adequate amount of resistance, never feeling squishy. At the track, the binders hauled our Soul down from 70 mph to 0 in an impressive 159 feet. The biggest chassis demerit is reserved for the adjustable electric power steering; it’s precise but ultimately numb in all three settings (Comfort, Normal, and Sport), which only adjust effort.

Parting with $15,495 will put you behind the wheel of a manual Soul, which is highlighted by power windows and locks (but, oddly, not keyless entry), satellite radio with Bluetooth/USB/aux connectivity, a six-way power driver’s seat, a tilting-and-telescoping steering wheel, four-wheel disc brakes, stability control, and six airbags. A set of carpeted floor mats ($115) was our test car’s only extra, but they were port installed—there are no factory options on the 1.6 models. You need to step up to the + ($18,995) or ! ($21,095) to unlock swanky stuff like bigger wheels, keyless entry and start, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated leather seats, and navigation. All in, you can spend $26,000 on a Soul.

Loaded-up models start to diminish the value inherent in the Soul, though, and they aren’t available with the manual gearbox. It would be nice if the company would follow Ford’s lead with its Focus and offer the manual across the lineup—or, failing that, stick the stick in a real Soul Track’ster with a turbocharged, 250-horse 2.0-liter—but we get the fact that most people can’t or won’t drive a manual. And even though such a product strategy usually punishes those who love to row their own by forcing them into homely-looking, bare-bones models, the base Soul is still practical, refined, stylish, and competent. It’s no wonder Kia is selling so many Souls.

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